Anyinam: Gov’t Prioritizes Agric Research Through RELC

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has a mission to promote sustainable agriculture and thriving agribusinesses through research and technology development, effective extension, and other support services to farmers, processors, and traders for improved livelihood.

The Research-Extension-Farmer Linkage Committee (RELC) ensures that research activities, especially adaptive research, respond to farmers’ and constraints are identified through the district planning sessions.

As part of the objectives of the Research-Extension-Farmer Linkage Committee, a RELC session was held to discuss farming activities and constraints identified within the Atiwa East District. In attendance were, Mr Simon Asare; the Atiwa East District Coordinating Director, Dr. Emmanuel Adetor; the Regional Veterinary Officer, Mr Samuel Ofosu; the Atiwa East District Director of Agriculture, Madam Stella Ampiah; the Regional Animal Production Officer, Mr. Joseph K. Ahiaku; the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Agric Extension Officers, Farmers, Processors and Input Dealers within the district.

The session highlighted key activities planned & implemented to resolve previous years RELC constraints, outcomes and success stories from the RELC planning sessions and identified constraints.

The district recorded successes in the control of fall armyworm infestation, farmers were educated on the fall armyworm situation and they were assisted with chemicals to control them.

The department of agriculture successfully introduced three new disease-resistant varieties of Taro. About 100 farmers in the district have benefited from this early maturing variety.

In the area of livestock farming, animal health has greatly been improved within the district.

Rice is a major crop that is been harvested in Atiwa East District. The government-sponsored program, planting for food and jobs has introduced AGRA rice. The AGRA rice has the potential of producing 2.7 tonnes of rice on an acre of land. Currently, farmers have planted on about 1000 acres and expecting 27,000 tonnes of rice at the end of the harvest.

Sadly, the district lacks modern milling facilities to process harvested rice and this continues to be a major burden on farmers.

The District Director of Agriculture, Mr. Samuel Ofosu took the opportunity to call on potential investors to partner with the district towards solving this challenge.